Fragments Gallery
Silently
The clack of wood on wood filled the early morning air above the fortress courtyard, the sound deadened by the medium rainfall. Even though the rain had long since turned the once hard packed dirt of the ground to mud the combatants still trained out in the sludge. Across the narrow courtyard pairs of young men fought with assorted practice weapons, and even though it was practice they showed each other no mercy. From the shelter of the overhanging roof at the edge of the courtyard the knight in charge of the day’s training shouted instructions at the combatants. Although they were fatigued the young men struggled to obey as they stopped their individual contests, traded partners and once again began to fight. From the shadows at the edge of the courtyard watched a young woman. Although she didn't appear to be hiding none of the combatants noticed her.
Slowly she readjusted her hood against a stray breath of air that chilled her dark skin. The simple grey robes that she wore belonged to acolytes of the knighthood. Her breath caught as the man that she was watching slipped and fell in his fight, but she began to breathe again as he fought off his opponent and returned to his feet. At a call from the knight instructor the pairs separated and, breathing heavily, got a chance to observe their opponents. The young knight in training that she watched was of medium height, he had short black hair and a stocky muscular build. His name was Gabriel. He was an old friend, important to her. Gabriel was more important than he would ever know. He was more important than he could ever know.
His opponent was massive, a bully by the name of Markus. By all appearances Gabriel looked like he was outmatched and Markus saw this. With a grin Markus shouldered his wooden practice axe and drew a finger across his throat, grinning wildly at Gabriel. Gabriel's features remained set in stone as he watched the other man, he was not easily intimidated.
Markus's grin grew wider as he watched the smaller trainee. The instructor yelled again and immediately the fighting resumed. Gabriel sidestepped Markus's first wild swing and rewarded the larger man's enthusiasm by bashing the flat of his wooden sword into his ribs. Markus yelped and spun around, his axe flying towards Gabriel's head. But Gabriel was no longer there. The axe flies through empty space as Gabriel, ducked under it and rapped Markus on the wrist with the flat of his blade, causing the other man to drop his weapon.
Markus cursed and fumbled at his belt, stepping back to earn more time as he drew his wooden dagger. Gabriel followed and with a few savage slashes forced the other man to his knees. With a smile he rested the blade against Markus's throat. The instructor yells again and Gabriel steps back, drawing his fist up to his chest and pressing the hilt of his blade flat against his chest in a salute. Sullenly Markus stood and returned the gesture before moving off to find his axe. Again the knight yelled and the trainees mixed together, searching for their next assigned opponents.
The young woman stepped back, silently taking advantage of the commotion to slip away unnoticed. At least she believed that she was unnoticed.
Gabriel's eyes flickered towards the grey robed figure slipping away through the shadows as he moved to find his next opponent. Had that been Brooke? Was his mind just conjuring up the one whom he cared for most? Had she come to see him? Come to see another trainee?
Gabriel put the thoughts aside as he found and saluted his opponent. Those were questions for another time.